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Autumn 1 Diary Dates - Year 3 - Year 4 - Year 5 - Year 6 - Arbor - Online Safety
Dinner Menu - Sports News - Book Shop - Attendance - Sports Awards
Autumn 1 Diary Dates
September
- Monday 22nd - Cross Country Squad Training
- Tuesday 23rd - Wednesday 24th - Year 5 Walk It training
- Wednesday 24th - Coastal Schools (4E)
- Friday 26th - Southend Cross Country Competition
- Tuesday 30th - Coastal Schools (4SW)
October
- Thursday 2nd - Friday 3rd - Show Racism the Red Card workshops
- Monday 6th - Year 6 Curriculum meeting
- Tuesday 7th - Coastal Schools (4C)
- Year 4 Curriculum meeting
- Wednesday 8th - Year 6 TAG Rugby Competition
- Year 5 Curriculum meeting
- Thursday 9th - Coastal Schools (4B)
- Year 3 Curriculum meeting
- Monday 13th - Individual and Sibling Photos
- Tuesday 14th - Individual and Sibling Photos
- Wednesday 15th - Cross Country Competition
- Friday 17th - Food Collection for Southend Foodbank
- Year 5/6 Girls Football Competition
- Monday 20th - Coastal Schools (4E)
- Tuesday 21st - Learning Conferences
- Tuesday 22nd - Year 3 Visit to Barleylands
- Thursday 23rd - Learning Conferences
- Monday 27th - Friday 31st - Half Term
Year 3
This week, the children have been learning all about the features of instructional writing. We explored the importance of imperative verbs and discovered how adverbs of time (like first, next, after that, and finally) help guide the reader through a task. To put our skills to the test, we ordered a set of instructions for how to catch a dragon, adding in adverbs of time.
Maths saw us spend some more time on TT Rockstars and we have learnt to navigate Maths with a Mouse to locate games and activities to support the learning we have completed in class. Moving on from place value, we have now begun to use our mathematical reasoning skills to answer more complex questions.
In Connected Curriculum, we’ve continued our journey back to the Stone Age! The children learnt about henge circles, using map skills to identify and plot their locations across the UK. We asked big questions such as 'why did people create cave paintings?' and explored what they tell us about early humans. We then had a go at creating our own cave drawings in our sketch books.
We are currently having some difficulties with Showbie and will let the children know when we are able to start using it. Spellings are stuck in your child's communication book every week and are also available on Spelling Shed should you need to check what they are.
PE Days
3T
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Friday
3H
- Indoor PE - Wednesday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
3L
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Friday
3M
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
Swimming
- 3H - Monday
- 3L – Tuesday
- 3T – Wednesday
- 3M – Wednesday
Letters sent home this week
Year 4
It has been wonderful to see how smoothly the children have settled into Year 4 and how enthusiastically they are approaching their learning.
In English, the children have really impressed us with their creativity as they wrote exciting adventure stories about the search for Egyptian treasure! Using their story plans, they structured their narratives carefully and included a range of descriptive techniques such as noun phrases, sensory language, fronted adverbials, and ‘show, not tell’ to bring their writing to life. Their imagination and effort are truly commendable.
In Maths, we’ve been focusing on place value. The children have been learning how to multiply and divide numbers by 10, 100, and even 1000. Some have also been developing their skills in reading and plotting numbers on scales, including those using negative numbers.
In science we have taken a bite into the topic of animal teeth. The children explored how different types of teeth are suited to different diets and even identified various species by examining pictures of their skulls!
As budding historians, the children examined a real photograph from the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. They used their deduction skills to answer the 5Ws — who, what, where, when, and why — sparking thoughtful discussion and curiosity about Ancient Egypt. They also explored a range of historical sources to gather evidence and confidently prove that the tomb's discovery really took place.
PE Days
4B
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Tuesday
4E
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
4SW
- Indoor PE - Wednesday
- Outdoor PE - Thursday
4C
- Indoor PE - Monday
- Outdoor PE - Tuesday
Swimming
- 4B - Monday
- 4SW - Monday
- 4C - Wednesday
- 4E - Friday
Letters sent home this week
Whole School - Local Visit Consent Form - 19.09.2025
Year 5
This week, Year 5 have been out on their adventures to Mersea and Call of the Wild/Belfairs Woods. We look forward to hearing more about these in next week's newsletter. We hope that they all have a good rest over the weekend and enjoy telling you all about their escapades!
PE Days
5G
- Indoor PE - Tuesday
- Outdoor PE - Wednesday
5A
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Monday
5N
- Indoor PE - Friday
- Outdoor PE - Monday
5F
- Indoor PE - Thursday
- Outdoor PE - Wednesday
Swimming
- 5N – Tuesday
- 5F – Tuesday
- 5G – Thursday
- 5A – Thursday
Letters sent home this week
Whole School - Local Visit Consent Form - 19.09.2025
Year 6
This week, Year 6 have continued to deepen their learning across a wide range of subjects, showing maturity, curiosity and creativity.
In science, pupils have been developing their knowledge of electrical components and how they link to changes in energy. They also applied this understanding to analyse circuit diagrams, identifying those that would need to be modified in order to function correctly.
Our Layered Reading lessons have focused on refining reading strategies. Pupils practised skimming and scanning techniques to gather evidence more efficiently, applying these skills to build a clearer understanding of the characters in Letters from the Lighthouse.
In Connected Curriculum, pupils made powerful links between the experiences of evacuees during the Second World War and those of the refugees on the Kindertransport. They also studied a historical photograph in detail, considering facial expressions, interactions, backgrounds and relationships to help understand the context and emotions captured within the image. Using these observations, pupils created their own green screen images, which became the inspiration for emotive and thoughtful narrative writing.
It has been another purposeful week of learning, with Year 6 demonstrating both empathy and insight as they make connections between subjects and real-world experiences.
PE Days
6D
- Indoor - Wednesday
- Outdoor - Tuesday
6K
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Monday
6W
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Monday
6S
- Indoor - Thursday
- Outdoor - Tuesday
Swimming
- 6D - Thursday
- 6S - Friday
- 6K - Friday
- 6W - Friday
Letters sent home this week
Arbor Hints and Tips
Breakfast and After School Club
To change or cancel Breakfast or After School Club you need to contact the office. Parents are unable to change/amend their own bookings.
If your child is booked into After School Club or Breakfast Club, it will show on their calendar, however it will not show which session your child it booked in for. It only shows After School Club or Breakfast Club and the full times that it runs for.
Clubs
The process for booking clubs: select Clubs, choose the club you wish to book onto, click on Register Child’s name for this club (green button), scroll down to the Choose Membership section and select the session, click on Next and on Choose Membership Periods and select the dates and click on Apply. Click on Next and then scroll down and make payment, click on Make Payment. Arbor will not provide confirmation of the payment going through, instead the payment screen will reappear. Press the option to move back a step and it will confirm your booking or you can check whether you have been sent an invoice.
Places are not officially given without payment.
If a club shows on your calendar, then you have booked and paid for the club
School Meals
Funds needs to be on the account to enable meal bookings to be made. If a child is confirmed as absent during registration the meal is automatically removed and not charged for later in the day. Once meals have been selected for the day/week you must click on ‘process’ for the booking to go through.
To make or change a lunch booking:
If using the Arbor App, click on the three lines on the left hand side, select Meals, choose Autumn Menu 2025. Any meals you have booked will show here under each day. If you need to change a lunch (e.g. changing choice or changing from school lunch to packed lunch), click on the day you wish to amend and make the change.
If you’re using the Arbor website, click on Quick Actions, Meals and then on Autumn Menu 2025 Meal choices available. Any meals you have booked will show here under each day. If you need to change a lunch (e.g. changing choice or changing from school lunch to packed lunch), click on the day you wish to amend and make the change.
If you have booked a school lunch and decide to bring a packed lunch instead, you will need to amend this on Arbor by 9.00am on the day.
Unfortunately there is no confirmation given when a meal has been booked. You would need to look on the days of the week and check the meal is there.
Swimming and Instrument Tuition
Both Swimming Contributions and Instrument Tuition are found under the Trips section.
Online Safety
With over 900 million monthly users, Snapchat continues to be a favourite among children and young people; however, with its ever-evolving features, the risks have evolved too. From AI-generated filters and chatbots, to disappearing messages and the Snap Map location-sharing tool, it’s easy for children to stumble into unsafe territory. This guide breaks down the latest updates, including the Lens+ subscription service, and web browser access.
We’ve also unpacked the risks of sextortion scams, overuse, and inappropriate content that may slip through the app’s moderation systems. With expert advice from online safety consultant Dr Claire Sutherland, this guide is a must-read for anyone helping young people navigate Snapchat responsibly and confidently.
Dinner Menu
Week 1
Monday - Homemade Creamy Cheese and Vegetable Pasta Bake with Garlic Bread - Jacket Potato (with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise) - Granary Baguette with Tuna Mayonnaise - Coleslaw and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Fruit Cocktail
Tuesday - Pork Sausage Toad in the Hole - Vegan Sausage Toad in the Hole - Jacket Potato (with Baked Beans, Cheese or Tuna Mayonnaise) saute Potates, Carrots, Beans and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Iced Finger
Wednesday - Homemade Mild Chicken Curry - Homemade Mild Chickpea and Vegetable Curry - Granary Baguette with Cheese - Rice, Mini Naan and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Apple Crumble with Custard
Thursday - Homemade Beef Cottage Pie - Homemade Quorn and Vegetable Cottage Pie - Jacket Potato (with Baked Beans Cheese or Tuna Mayonniase) - Carrots, Peas and Salad Bar - Fresh Fruit, Yoghurt or Banana Cake
Friday - 100% Fish Fingers - Vegetable Fingers - Wholemeal Wrap with Salmon and Sweetcorn - Potato Wedges, Baked Beans and Salad Bar - Fresh fruit, Yoghurt or Fruity Jelly
Sports News
Table Tennis
The first Southend Primary School Sports Association (SPSSA) competition of the year took place at Alleyn Court School on Wednesday 17th September. Pupils from West Leigh Junior School took part in the table tennis competition.
In the morning session, the boys’ team participated against eight other schools. The competition was organised in a ‘round robin’ format, meaning that the boys played seven matches in fairly quick succession. The children from West Leigh competed with determination and skill. They remained calm under pressure and won six of the seven matches. By the end of the competition the boys had achieved 31 points, just 4 behind the winners, and some way ahead of the other teams. The boys were pleased with their silver medals and delighted that they have qualified for the Essex final in October.
In the afternoon session, the girls participated with equal determination and enthusiasm, against a very strong field. The event again took the form of a ‘round robin’ competition and the girls moved swiftly from match to match. The girls played well, displaying solid skills and won a number of their games. They eventually finished in fifth place.
Throughout the day our pupils displayed excellent manners and sportsmanship and were great ambassadors for the school.
Year 4 Boys' Football v Chalkwell
Two teams of Year 4 footballers competed in the first sports event of the academic year this week. The children have demonstrated great patience as this event was rearranged after its June postponement! Despite having never played together as a team, West Leigh quickly organised themselves into a formation and supported each other throughout the two matches. There were great displays of footballing brilliance all over the pitch with miraculous saves from Jack Wootton and well-taken goals from Abel Copping. One West Leigh team were 5-3 winners and another West Leigh team lost 4-0. Mr Markham and Mrs Rodger were very proud of all of the children in how they played and worked as a team. A big well done, boys!
Cross-Country Trials
A huge well done to all of the children that competed in this year's cross-country trials. In total, 209 children attended and ran brilliantly. We are always so impressed by the quality of running across the school. A squad has now been selected for this year's Southend cross-country competition. Another squad will be selected to attend Cut Hedge Cross-Country at Gosfield School. This will mean that almost half of the children who attended the trials will have a chance to represent the school this term!
Achievements
West Leigh Girls Go the Extra Mile!
We are delighted to share the wonderful volunteer work carried out by two of our pupils, Lucy and Imogen, last Saturday afternoon.
The girls were stationed at the final checkpoint before the finish line of a gruelling running event, where many participants had already completed up to 70km. Lucy and Imogen worked hard to keep squash jugs topped up, refill runners’ water bottles, and hand out sweets to give the athletes a much-needed boost.
The runners were hugely grateful for the support, with many relieved not to have to bend down to fill bottles themselves after such an exhausting distance. Lucy and Imogen also did a brilliant job of cheering everyone on as they set off on their final 10km stretch.
Both girls had a fantastic time and are already looking forward to volunteering again. 🌟
Community News
We've created a dedicated space on our website to share flyers for local events and community support. Click the link below to explore what's happening in our area.
ST BERNARD’S HIGH SCHOOL
Exam Invigilators – September 2025
Hourly rate: £12.50
The School is looking to recruit Exam Invigilators to join its bank of staff who oversee examinations in the School.
Full training will be provided.
We welcome applications from all denominations or none.
Please complete a non-teaching application form which can be found at the bottom of our Vacancies page and email it to recruitment@stbernards.southend.sch.uk.
Note: CVs will not be accepted.
Please contact recruitment@stbernards.southend.sch.uk for more information.
Autumn 2 Term Diary Dates
November
- Wednesday 5th - Year 6 Basketball Competition
- Year 6 Book Look 3.30 - 3.45pm
- Friday 7th - Team Challenge
- Tuesday 11th - Flu Immunisations
- General Knowledge Quiz Club Area Heat
- Wednesday 12th - Year 5 Book Look 3.30 - 3.45pm
- Year 4 Dodgeball Competition
- Thursday 13th - Coastal Schools (4SW)
- Friday 14th - Children in Need
- Year 5/6 Boys' Football
- Monday 17th - Friday 21st - Year 6 Test Week
- Tuesday 18th - Year 5 Performance to Parents @ 2.15pm - 5N and 5A
- Wednesday 19th - Year 6 - Young Shakespeare Macbeth
- Year 4 Book Look 3.30 - 3.45pm
- Year 6 Dodgeball Competition
- Thursday 20th - Year 5 Performance to Parents @ 2.15pm - 5G and 5F
- Monday 24th - Wednesday 3rd - Assessment Weeks for Years 3 - 5
- Monday 24th - Friday 28th - Book Fair
- Coastal Schools (4C)
- Wednesday 26th - Year 3 Book Look 3.30 - 3.45pm
- Goalball Competition
December
- Tuesday 2nd - Flu Immunisation mop-up
- Year 3 Presentation to Parents @ 2.15pm - 3M and 3H
- Wednesday 3rd - Year 3 Christmas Decoration Morning
- Thursday 4th - Year 5 Christmas Decoration Morning
- Year 3 Presentation to Parents @ 2.15pm - 3T and 3S
- Friday 5th - Christmas Decorations Years 4 and 6 - times TBC
- Monday 8th - Rehearsal at St Margaret's AM
- Tuesday 9th - Coastal Schools (4B)
- Christmas Carol Service @ 7pm
- Wednesday 10th - Handball Competition (Year 6)
- Friday 19th - INSET DAY
- Monday 22nd - Friday 2nd January - Christmas Break
Credits:
Created with images by mnirat - "Closeup Colorful drawing pins on Calendar page with date." • ImageFlow - "Kid boy with phone, cybersecurity hologram and padlock circuit" • ercan senkaya - "full lunch service station" • Kaspars Grinvalds - "Tablet with sports news website on stack of newspapers. All contents are made up." • Dusan Petkovic - "Adorable curious caucasian little girl with eyeglasses standing in bookstore and reading interesting book. All around are books on shelves." • Win Nondakowit - "Kid hand with trophy cup" • AungMyo - "Silhouette of happy children standing with raised hands on the mountain at the sunset time." • mnirat - "Closeup Colorful drawing pins on Calendar page with date."